First Nations Cricket
A Fair Go For All
Inspiring Impactful Change
First Nations Cricket aims to make a lasting impact in the Australian Indigenous community.
Our initiatives and activities are designed to catalyze personal growth and community empowerment. But above all, inspiring impactful change is at the heart and soul of everything that we do.
First Nations Cricket seeks to increase participation among - and directly sponsor - Indigenous youth in local and regional cricket clubs around Australia.
First Nations Cricket shall scour Australian regional Indigenous communities and cricket clubs in search of the next generation of professional Aboriginal cricketers, who may one day have the opportunity to wear the baggy green and showcase their talents on the world stage.
About Us
The Executive Committee of First Nations Cricket is driven to do its part in discovering and nurturing the next generation of Indigenous Australian cricketing talent.
We strive to empower Australian Indigenous individuals and communities, particularly young cricketers from disadvantaged or underprivileged backgrounds.
We strive to build productive relationships within the Australian Indigenous community and make a lasting impact with all of our pursuits.
First Nations Cricket aims to assist up and coming Aboriginal cricketers in finding a pathway to professional cricket at the state and national level.
Allocation of Funds
Our organisation aspires to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged and underprivileged Indigenous Australian cricketers.
The Executive Committee of First Nations Cricket believes that every Indigenous boy and girl in Australia who aspires to play cricket for their State or Country deserves equal access to playing and selection opportunities.
For these reasons, the Funds raised by First Nations Cricket shall assist our organisation in subsidizing the following initiatives:
1. Travel costs required to fly scouts around Australia to identify talented Aboriginal cricketers, particularly in the 10 to 17 year age group.
2. Donating sporting equipment such as cricket bats, helmets, gloves and pads to Indigenous individuals and communities around Australia, in addition to subsidizing the cost of purchasing their team uniforms.
3. Subsidizing the annual cost of Indigenous player registration in local cricketing clubs across Australia.
4. Subsidizing the cost of transporting Indigenous cricketers from remote communities to their weekly team practice and weekend matches.
5. Facilitating one on one mentoring and coaching clinics between exceptionally talented Indigenous individuals and retired Australian cricketers.
For example, six retired Australian cricketers shall be paid by The First Nations Cricket Committee to conduct two private coaching clinics each year (on average one coaching clinic every month) with a select group of Indigenous cricketers who have displayed promise and talent at their local cricket clubs.
6. First Nations Cricket shall nurture exceptionally talented Aboriginal cricketers by paying for any off-season coaching required, at no expense to their families.
7. Advertising Billboard costs required to promote the First Nations Cricket website at Big Bash League matches, Sheffield Shield matches and Test matches across Australia, in order to elevate the brand recognition of First Nations Cricket and increase corporate understanding, with respect to the need to support disadvantaged or under-privileged Indigenous cricketers through our pathways programs.
Job Vacancies
Making Change Possible
We shall in due course seek to fill the position of "Indigenous Community, Club and Player Liaison Officer".
The person who fills this position shall be responsible for flying and/or driving around Australia, to visit Indigenous communities and local cricket clubs in order to identify promising indigenous cricketers, specifically in the 10 to 17 year age group, who may come from underprivileged and disadvantaged families and are in need of our organisation's support in subsidizing the cost of cricketing equipment, transportation to and from matches, cricket club registration fees and any necessary mentoring or coaching.
We see every challenge as an opportunity, and our "Indigenous Community, Club and Player Liaison Officer" shall ensure that those we serve are better prepared to persevere in the unique situations they find themselves in.
Full Time Role:
$133,000 annual salary plus travel expenses.
For further information or to send your CV, please use the contact form.
* The filling of this position is in accordance with the exemption under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984. The "Indigenous Community, Club and Player Liaison Officer" role is only open to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander persons.
News Articles
Humble and Honest
First Nations Cricket is currently in the start up phase of our organisation as a non profit.
We intend to rely exclusively on donations from Corporate Australia and Government Grants in order to build on the extraordinary legacy of the trailblazing Indigenous XI cricketers who first toured England in 1868.
The First Nations Cricket Organisation will, in due course, become registered as a Public Benevolent Institution with the ACNC.
A PBI is a "type of charitable institution which is organised, conducted or promoted for the relief of poverty, sickness, destitution, helplessness, suffering, misfortune, disability or distress."
PBIs are recognised by the ACNC and ATO as a subtype of charity.
The First Nations Cricket Organisation also intends to become eligible to be endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR) by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
According to the website for ACNC, organisations that are endorsed as deductible gift recipients (DGRs) are entitled to receive donations that are deductible from the donor's income tax. This means when a donor makes a gift or contribution to a DGR endorsed charity, they may be able to claim a tax deduction.
Jason Gillespie
Ambassador
On November 29, 1996, Jason Gillespie, a descendant of the Kamilaroi people, burst onto the international cricket stage.
In the preceding 119 years, there hadn't been any indigenous cricketers selected to play for Australia.
Jason is world renowned as one of the finest cricketers to ever represent Australia, having played 71 Test Matches, 97 One Day Internationals and taking a combined total of 401 wickets for Australia, across both formats of the game.
Jason is the Head Coach of South Australia and the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.
“I would love to see more Indigenous players play Tests. We have seen female Indigenous representation in Tests with Ash Gardner in recent times and in the shorter formats of the game with Dan Christian and D’Arcy Short and Scott Boland, but it would be fantastic to see more.’’
Contact
We are currently building our team in order to best serve our Mission, which is to financially support up and coming indigenous cricketers so they may have the opportunity to fulfil their potential at the state and national level of professional cricket.
We encourage any prospective corporate donors to reach out with any questions or offer of support.
P.O Box 801, Oxford Street, Bulimba, QLD 4171
Sponsor
The First Nations Cricket Organisation is humbled and honoured to have the support and encouragement of Gray-Nicolls.
Gray-Nicolls is a brand built on quality craftsmanship, attention to detail and high performance. In addition, Gray-Nicolls cricket equipment is reasonably priced and accessible to the up and coming cricketer and professional alike.
Gray-Nicolls strives to give back to the wider community through its support of grassroots initiatives.
"Gray-Nicolls wholeheartedly and enthusiastically supports the initiatives of The First Nations Cricket Organisation, in their quest to discover and nurture the next generation of Aboriginal youth cricketers. Gray-Nicolls is very honoured and proud to align with First Nations Cricket, which has a very uplifting and positive mission to catalyze personal growth and indigenous community empowerment - leading to more opportunities for indigenous youth to participate in the game of cricket and showcase their talents on the world stage."
A Message For Corporate Australia
Our strength is amplified with collective action, and you can help make a difference with First Nations Cricket today.
The support we receive is a huge driver of the good work we do in addressing some of the Indigenous Community's most challenging problems.
We believe the best way for our initiatives to be successful is for Corporate Australia to become actively involved.
There are currently more than 70,000 indigenous cricketers in Australia, most of whom lack the basic equipment necessities for playing the game.
The First Nations Cricket Organisation is calling out Woolworths, Coles, BHP, Rio Tinto, Santos, Fortescue, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, CSL, Atlassian and Hancock Prospecting.
With your support, we can enable a "Fair Go For All" indigenous cricketers throughout Australia.
Facts and Figures
According to a recent Cricket Census, more than 1.5 million people currently participate in cricket around Australia.
Therefore, the public might be surprised to learn that - since 1877 - only two Indigenous males and two Indigenous females have played Test Match Cricket for Australia - Faith Thomas, Jason Gillespie, Ashley Gardner and Scott Boland.
The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport asserts that indigenous children are 1.4 times more likely to not participate in any sport, compared with non indigenous children.
This statistic can be partly explained by the cost of registering in organised sport, in addition to the cost of transportation to and from team practice, the cost of sports equipment and team uniforms.
Fox Sports claims that "Increasing Indigenous participation is a major goal for Cricket Australia and the numbers have risen from 8,500 in 2013 to 69,092 in July 2019, an impressive rise, but it comes off a low base and CA admits it is still “under represented’’ by Indigenous players."
Considering there are approximately 350,000 Aboriginal youths aged 15 and under in Australia (data source ABS), cricket has the potential to become the fastest growing sport among Indigenous youths.
1 in 5 Aboriginal youth - approximately 70,000 - now play some form of cricket in Australia - the vast majority of whom struggle to pay for club memberships and cricket equipment.
Interview with our CEO
Otto von Kaiser
What motivates you?
My role as CEO of First Nations Cricket is voluntary. This means I choose not to take a salary or any compensation whatsoever.
I am very sceptical of large non profit organisation's which have enormous teams of marketing executives, all on big salaries.
Therefore, I am not motivated by money. I am motivated to do what is right and to align with honorable people.
In your opinion, why are Aboriginal players continually underrepresented at the state and national level of professional cricket?
I get the clear impression that Cricket Australia isn't doing enough to build viable pathways for indigenous cricketers to be selected and play for their state and country.
Sadly, many people with decision making power are "All Talk, No Action". As a result, opportunities for progress and growth within Indigenous youth cricket continue to be thwarted.
I feel that Cricket Australia's resources could be more appropriately allocated in order to increase participation among Indigenous cricketers.